YC Office Hours
garrytan/gstack
Runs a YC-style office hours session that pressure-tests a product idea before any code and ends in a design document instead of an implementation.
Walks a team through Lafley and Martin's five-choice cascade to pin down where to compete and how to win there.
Install Playing to Win Strategy
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-win --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .claude/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .claude/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-winType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-win --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .agents/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .agents/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-win --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .cursor/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .cursor/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git --path product-skills/skills/playing-to-win--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-win --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .gemini/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .gemini/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-winInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .github/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .github/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install amplitude/builder-skills playing-to-win --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win .opencode/skills/playing-to-win && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "playing-to-win" agent skill from https://github.com/amplitude/builder-skills/tree/main/product-skills/skills/playing-to-win into .opencode/skills/playing-to-win/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "playing-to-win", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
playing-to-win- GitHub stars
- 159
- Token cost
- ~1.7k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 660 words
- Files
- 2 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 61
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- None found
At a glance
Walks a team through Lafley and Martin's five-choice cascade to pin down where to compete and how to win there.
- Works in 5 steps: Clarify the subject: Identify what needs… → Walk the cascade — Work through all five… → Test the cascade for coherence: The five… → …
- Setting strategy for a company, product line, or new market entry
- SKILL.md covers Workflow, Output Template, Adapting the Analysis and Tips
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Five linked choices structure the strategy conversation this skill runs: a winning aspiration stated in concrete terms, where to play among customer segments, geographies, categories, and channels, how to win there through cost leadership or differentiation, which three to five capabilities the plan depends on, and the management systems needed to build and sustain them.
Once the cascade is drafted, it gets tested for coherence: whether the chosen playing field actually serves the stated aspiration, whether the capabilities genuinely enable the chosen way of winning, and whether any link in the chain quietly fails to hold.
When your agent uses it
- Setting strategy for a company, product line, or new market entry
- Deciding which customer segments or channels to pursue, and which to skip
- Checking whether a stated competitive advantage is backed by real capabilities
Example prompts
- “Work through the Playing to Win cascade for our move into the SMB segment.”
- “Where should we play for our new analytics product over the next year?”
- “Test whether our current capabilities actually support our stated strategy.”
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Clarify the subject: Identify what needs a strategy — a company, product line, feature area, or new market entry. Ask the user if…
- Walk the cascade — Work through all five choices in order. Each choice constrains the next
- Test the cascade for coherence: The five choices must reinforce each other. Check
- Identify the key strategic tension: Every strategy involves a core tension or tradeoff. Name it explicitly — what are you giving up? What…
- Reverse-engineer the must-be-true conditions: For each choice, list 2-3 conditions that must hold for the choice to be valid. These become…
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 51838c2. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Playing to Win Strategy loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.6k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 63 tokens; SKILL.md has 660 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
Without a licence we can't republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 660 words (~1,699 tokens).
“Strategy is an integrated set of choices that positions you to win. Make those choices explicit.”
- name
- playing-to-win
- suggest_when
- User asks about strategy, "where should we compete", "how do we win", "strategic choices", "market entry", "positioning", or needs to move from vision to a…
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in product-skills/skills/playing-to-win of amplitude/builder-skills.
- SKILL.md
- references/framework.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 51838c2
Compare with similar skills
Playing to Win Strategy next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playing to Win Strategy this skillamplitude/builder-skills | 159 | — | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| YC Office Hoursgarrytan/gstack | 136k | — | ~4.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Business Modelphuryn/pm-skills | 27k | — | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Idea ValidatorMathews-Tom/armory | 329 | — | ~2.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Biz Blue Oceanasgard-ai-platform/skills | 242 | — | ~2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Zhang Yiming Perspectivealchaincyf/zhang-yiming-skill | 175 | 1 repos | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Related
Questions about Playing to Win Strategy
What does Playing to Win Strategy do?
Walks a team through Lafley and Martin's five-choice cascade to pin down where to compete and how to win there. Five linked choices structure the strategy conversation this skill runs: a winning aspiration stated in concrete terms, where to play among customer segments, geographies, categories, and channels, how to win there through cost leadership or differentiation, which three to five capabilities the plan depends on, and the management systems needed to build and sustain them.
When should I use Playing to Win Strategy?
Playing to Win Strategy fits situations like: setting strategy for a company, product line, or new market entry; deciding which customer segments or channels to pursue, and which to skip; checking whether a stated competitive advantage is backed by real capabilities.
How do I install Playing to Win Strategy in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (product-skills/skills/playing-to-win in amplitude/builder-skills) into .claude/skills/playing-to-win in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Playing to Win Strategy in Codex?
Run `npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (product-skills/skills/playing-to-win in amplitude/builder-skills) into .agents/skills/playing-to-win in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Playing to Win Strategy in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add amplitude/builder-skills --skill playing-to-win -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/playing-to-win, .gemini/skills/playing-to-win, .github/skills/playing-to-win and .opencode/skills/playing-to-win in your project.
What does Playing to Win Strategy need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Playing to Win Strategy is instructions for the agent only.
Does Playing to Win Strategy access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Playing to Win Strategy safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Playing to Win Strategy use?
No licence was found for Playing to Win Strategy or its repository. Without one, default copyright applies: ask the author before reusing or redistributing it.
How many tokens does Playing to Win Strategy use?
About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.9k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Playing to Win Strategy?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Playing to Win Strategy: YC Office Hours (garrytan/gstack, 136k stars), Business Model (phuryn/pm-skills, 27k stars), Idea Validator (Mathews-Tom/armory, 329 stars) and Biz Blue Ocean (asgard-ai-platform/skills, 242 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Playing to Win Strategy?
amplitude (a GitHub organization) maintains it in amplitude/builder-skills, which has 159 GitHub stars. The repository holds 61 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on July 24, 2026.
Source: amplitude/builder-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.